How long do pasta, rice and flour actually keep?
How to store emergency supplies
Created: 10/21/2022, 6:30 p.m
By: Janine Napirca
Creating an emergency supply for emergencies is certainly not wrong.
As long as you store your dry foods such as pasta, rice and flour properly.
Dry foods such as pasta, rice and flour are very popular when you want to stock up on supplies in case of an emergency.
This is not least due to the fact that these foods are particularly nutritious, but also have a very long shelf life due to the low water content - some varieties even far beyond the best-before date.
At least if they are stored appropriately.
In the following you can read how to store pasta, rice and flour correctly and what else you should pay attention to.
It is best to store dry food such as rice, cans and flour for emergency supplies in sealable cans or screw-top jars.
© Jochen Tack/Imago
Even if you don't have much space, you can stock up on a small emergency supply in case of an emergency.
Read here, for example, how to properly store potatoes and onions without a cellar.
Stock up on emergency supplies: When storing pasta, rice and flour, make sure you use the original packaging
Since both pasta and rice are sold wrapped in either plastic or boxes, you may need to transfer the dry food you've purchased to stock up on emergency supplies in case of an emergency.
Paper packaging, which is usually also found with flour, is better for the environment than plastic packaging.
Paper packaging, on the other hand, is not at all suitable for creating an emergency supply.
According to the consumer center, what you should protect pasta, rice and flour from:
against excessive humidity (cooking fumes)
from too high and too low temperatures
from light and direct sunlight
against odor-intensive substances such as spices, coffee or detergents
When decanting flour, rice and noodles, you should make absolutely sure that no foreign substances get into the storage container - for example screw-top jars or sealable cans.
Rice and pasta that are unopened and sealed in rigid plastic packaging can also be left in the original packaging.
Forget the best-before date: this is how you can tell if a food item has spoiled
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How long can rice, pasta and flour last if stored correctly?
For pasta, rice and flour, the shelf life differs depending on the variety.
In general, however, all foods have a longer shelf life than the best-before date promises.
At least when optimal storage conditions prevail.
It is best to store flour, rice and pasta dry in screw-top jars or sealable cans between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius in a ventilated pantry or airy pantry.
Food | durability |
|---|---|
dry pasta such as noodles | a few years beyond the MHD |
dry pasta made from whole grain, egg or vegetables | approx. 1 year, according to MHD |
white rice | a few years beyond the MHD |
brown rice | approx. 1 year, according to MHD |
Household flour, type 405 and 550 | several months beyond the MHD |
whole wheat flour | 4 to 6 months according to MHD |
self-ground wholemeal flour | 2 to 4 weeks |
Source: www.verbraucherzentrale.de/wissen/lebensmittel/auswaehlen-zuzubereiten-aufbewehren/trockenlebensmittel-durability-und-storage-58938
Apart from wholemeal flour that you have ground yourself, pasta, rice and flour are very good for stocking up on food in case of an emergency.
Just make sure to keep rice, pasta and flour away from your stove, dishwasher or window to avoid fluctuations in temperature and humidity.
On the other hand, food that doesn’t keep as long should be used up more quickly – this works wonderfully with the recipes for using leftovers.